By the time many teenagers leave school they have had quite enough of ‘the institution’ and for many it has been a process of mere learning to pass exams. A properly structured gap year can provide a real worldly education and a good transition to university and adult life. Indeed, it is rare to have the opportunity to travel (and perhaps work) abroad for six months or more. So often one hears people commenting that at university one can tell those who have taken a gap year and those who have not. It would be surprising if time spent in a very different environment hadn’t had a dramatic affect on an individual’s perspective and attitudes.
Gap year travels tend to split into two broad categories: volunteering or working abroad and independent travel. They both have their merits and a bit of both can be a good balance.
The opportunities are often limited by people’s imagination. If you want to volunteer abroad it is good to choose a company that is a member of The Year Out Group such as Raleigh International, The Leap or Quest who can offer volunteering projects or placements. However, if you can get a direct placement with a school, orphanage or safari lodge so much the better as it will be cheaper and in many cases more of an ‘immersion’.
My son worked at Rorke’s Drift in Zululand for three months and then did independent travel; he drove to Mongolia with two other mates. The lads organised it themselves and of note they didn’t do the Mongol Rally as they wanted enough time to really appreciate the journey. They spent a month in Europe before journeying through the brilliant Iran and into the ‘Stans’. One advantage of going with a gap year company or on an organised expedition is that you can go more remote. To be able to explore the Brunei jungle or the Asian Steppes under your own steam is somewhat difficult but companies such as Oasis Overland, Dragoman and Raleigh offer a range of exploration opportunities.
In my mind nothing beats independent travel. It is not for everyone as it can be daunting and its true that some people don’t make the most of it, just getting drunk on a beach in Thailand is not exactly life changing.
However, for most people it can be a character building and indeed a life transforming experience. As an education not much beats it as very quickly a son or daughter will have to embrace the working of the wider world in order to just get through the day!
There is more to think about and to organise than people imagine. In a typical day lots of questions will need to be answered; what time to be up by so as not to miss the only bus of the day, how much money do we need, is he a Hindu or Muslim, is that safe to eat, how to stop the taxi driver ripping us off and where the heck are the Malvinas Islands? If a son or daughter is not so good at thinking on their feet and problem solving they certainly will be after four months in Central America or in India. While there are many important planning considerations perhaps the most significant is who to go travelling with. Alone is certainly an option but generally it is best to share experiences and team up with others. That said, not too many. Big groups tend to have the pace set by the least imaginative and the idlest bod.
To ensure that the gap year is not wasted and remains safe a significant amount of planning is needed. At the most basic level travellers have to know what the weather will hold in store, too many young travellers arrive at our one day gap year travel safety course in December and January set for Bolivia and Peru completely unaware it is the rainy season. Travellers must know the historical, cultural and religious essentials of the countries they are visiting, what injections are needed, how not to contract Dengue or Chikungunya Fever and how to handle an armed mugging, all too prevalent in urban South America.
Charlie McGrath is the founder of Objective Travel Safety
Objective offers a one-day gap year safety course [www.objectivegapsafety.com](http://www.objectivegapsafety.com)
